Orillia public meeting scheduled to discuss storing divisive Champlain statue

The Samuel de Champlain statue at Orillia’s Couchiching Beach Park on May 22, 2026. (CTV News/Luke Simard)

In a report presented to Orillia city council, a recommendation was made to move the town’s divisive Samuel de Champlain statue into storage.

A special council meeting re Champlain statue placement that is open to the public, has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.

Council will meet in Orillia’s council chambers to discuss the transition of the Champlain statute into an interim storage space.

The report notes that “the community is experiencing significant division, with two conflicting interpretations of recent actions:

• That the statue is temporarily stored; and

• That statue has effectively been reinstalled.

This divergence likely reflects broader underlying tensions related to history, identity, reconciliation, and community values.

In the report, staff were being directed to safely remove the statue temporarily located in Couchiching Beach Park and place it storage.

Staff would then be authorized to charge moving expenses to the tax rate stabilization reserve.